Gambling Legislation in Illinois Progresses

An online casino games bill is currently being introduced by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton in the state of Illinois. The legislation aims to establish a Division of Internet Gaming within the state lottery.

Senate President John Cullerton expressed his intentions in a letter addressed to Chicago Governor Pat Quinn and other members of the legislature, Senate President John Cullerton wrote, “Certain forms of iGaming, especially poker, rely on large pools of potential players, and states that move swiftly to design a system that captures the widest audience of participants will have an advantage in terms of long-range success. The goal is to make the state nimble enough to adjust to new Internet gambling approaches.”

Proponents assert that Illinois should be a leader in permitting online poker and other online casino games to be played at the best online casinos within the state. Cullerton stated that the possibility of bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the state is worth the effort.

Despite support for the bill among lawmakers, there is also opposition. “If you allow Internet poker to be sanctioned by the state of Illinois, there are a whole lot of questions that need to be answered,” said Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno. “Being first isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Cullerton is hoping that the bill will receive audience in the current meeting of the state legislature, which commences on May 31, 2012. The urgency is related to a new measure pending in the US Senate that would only allow states with a regulatory framework in place to offer casino games online.